WASHINGTON — Joey Gallo finalized a $5 million, one-year contract with the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
Gallo hit .177 with 21 homers, 40 RBIs and 142 strikeouts last year with the Minnesota Twins. The 30-year-old outfielder and first baseman had an $11 million, one-year contract, then became a free agent.
Washington designated catcher Israel Pineda for assignment to make room on its roster.
Gallo gets a $2.5 million salary, and the agreement includes an $8 million mutual option for 2025 with a $2.5 million buyout, which would be payable by next Jan. 15. He can earn $1 million in performance bonuses this year for plate appearances: $200,000 each for 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600.
An All-Star with Texas in 2019 and ’21, the strikeout-prone Gallo has slumped in recent years. He hit .181 in the last five seasons with 88 homers, 190 RBIs and 597 strikeouts in 1,323 at-bats, a 45% rate.
Gallo has a .197 career average with 198 homers and 426 RBIs for Texas (2015-21), the New York Yankees (2021-22), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2022) and the Twins.
He offers the Nationals some much-needed power for their light-hitting lineup and he bats left-handed, a need for Washington’s batting order.
Washington hit 151 homers last year, the second-lowest total in the major leagues and less than half of the leading 307 produced by NL East champion Atlanta.
The Nationals are still working to redevelop a roster that was torn down in the aftermath of its 2019 World Series championship; the club is coming off four consecutive finishes at the bottom of the division.
This offseason has not brought additions of much in the way of major league talent. But Gallo offers some positional flexibility, able to play at first base or the outfield, as well as being a DH.